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The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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The Covanta tower is the largest clue. Photo is East of the Ring Road at Roosevelt Field, running parallel to Stewart Avenue along the path of the LIMP in the direction of where Mitchel Gardens once was located near the tower.
The intersection in the foreground is the right turn running South and parallel to the LIRR spur that connects with Quentin Roosevelt Boulevard today at Stewart Ave.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
Al captured this image on South St, this road is ‘T shaped’ between Stewart Ave and Roosevelt Field. The view is the east section that deadends. I always wondered about the building at the end, facing west. A bank maybe? Abandoned currently. Time period looks like 1990 - 1995. That’s the Covanta Stack, e/o Meadowbrook Pkwy.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
Al is looking east on South Street in Garden City (S of Roosevelt Field mall and N of Stewart Avenue). Rationale: The smokestack in the background, which I figured to be the Covanta smokestack. This is the only road near the Covanta plant that lies in a straight line right over the Motor Parkway. The building on the left, and the large white building to the left of the smokestack, match buildings in Google Street View.
I found a document on the internet that indicates that Gabby’s Shoes was located at 11 South Street. This address is occupied by Bolla Transport today, according to Google Street View. If I only knew when Gabby’s went out of business, I could probably figure out when the Foto was taken. Without that info, and judging by the cars, I’m guessing that it was sometime in the 1990s.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
No research, I’m 99% sure I know this one: Current LIMP I know. When you send pics from 100 years ago I have no idea (but still love it).
Garden City, South Street, looking East. This leads up to a fence that enters you into the woods to the south of the Meadowbrook, and north of Stewart Ave. That big driveway is no longer there, trees come into that space now.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
Southeast corner of Roosevelt Field. Looking East.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
The photographer is looking east down South Street from the Ring Road around Roosevelt Field. The buildings pretty much match those on a current Google Earth Street View. The Covanta stack to the east gives it away. I am crap at car models but I would say 2000.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
Al is standing on South Street in East Garden City facing east. He is looking down an extension of South Street on the old VP ROW that ends at a dead end. You can make out the stack of Covanta in the distance. In the current day, BJs parking lot is behind him and Akbar would be to his right.
I’m guessing the year, but ‘92 is my guess based on the age of the cars.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
The sharp bend on South St./Ring Rd
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
Al is standing on the sharp curve on South Street (looking East down the dead end extension) -at the southeast corner of Roosevelt Field. (At Al’s back directly behind him was a Benigans I’d often go to at that time.) Judging by the years of the closest identifiable vehicles (Ford Explorer, Jeep Cherokee, Honda Civic) I’d place this sometime around 1998.
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: South Street On the Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way in East Garden City
Besides all this excitement, that’s actually a great image of the parkway bridge in 1930. Criminals in general must have utilized the LIMP for quick and relatively safe getaways. They still had to play it cool when approaching a toll ( doubt they had a parkway ez pass ). Pay the toll, try not to look suspicious and be nice to the lodge keeper.
From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway and the Bellmore Bank Robbery
From Art Kleiner:
Thanks Mike - yes, I enjoyed researching it. Especially when I first saw it in “True Detective Mysteries” magazine. I wasn’t sold on it as “True”, but with so much local detail (and of course it being in the NY Times), I was convinced. The article spanned 3 issues with lots of information, and seemed like a TV drama scanning through it.
But sorry, I first thought Crawford was a NC detective, but looked him up and saw he starred in “Highway Patrol” as Dan Mathews. Now if you said Joe Friday (Jack Webb) I would have known right away!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broderick_Crawford
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Friday
From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway and the Bellmore Bank Robbery
Very interesting story Art! I too grew up just a 10 minute walk from the Newbridge Road Bridge. The event took place long before Broderick Crawford and the Highway Patrol were around. He would have nabbed them for sure!
From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway and the Bellmore Bank Robbery
Did a little more digging, and discovered that the Jones Variety Store was located at 251-255 Elm Street in West Springfield, placing it about 1.7 miles away from where Storrowton Village is located at the Big E (Eastern States Exposition).
From Mystery Painting #21 Partially Solved: A Work of Art from the Long Island Automotive Museum
Do you have any other vintage humorous automobile postcards? Please add them to the Comments section.
From Kleiner's Korner: Humorous Postcards from the Helck Family Collection
I’d promised a BIG treat but it somehow didn’t post; let’s try again. I grew up with this hysterical automotive sporting print above my grandfather’s mantel, so I knew it at least since 1937 or so. It’s been remounted and now hangs above mine. The image itself is about 20” x 30” and is titled “The Meet at the Black Swan”. After I took a really bad pic of it through glass, it occurred to me to look on line; it turns out to be rather famous and is credited to Stuart Travis, ca. 1901. It’s chock full of great details. In the vernacular, ENJOY! Sam, III
From Kleiner's Korner: Humorous Postcards from the Helck Family Collection
Look carefully at this last DeDion Bouton card; there are two three-wheeled Camionettes shown, plus the two vis-à-vis and a steam autobus! Now, why would a fully-caparisoned Pierrot be driving the buggy? Also, why is the ad label spelled “Camioniette” (with a second “i”)? Such fun! Sam, III
From Kleiner's Korner: Humorous Postcards from the Helck Family Collection
As a lover of old advertising and cars, this collection of auto-oriented postcards was excellent. The last card with ‘amazed horse’ and sucking baby was priceless.
I went through hundreds, if not thousands of cards at Nassau County Photo Archives, and these shown are quite classic and humorous.
JF Purcell
Oceanside, NY
Volunteer, Nassau County Photo Archives.
From Kleiner's Korner: Humorous Postcards from the Helck Family Collection
Art, Since you asked….., the information about the license plate number came from a publication called “The Motor” published by Motor magazine in late 1904. It lists almost all of the vehicle registration numbers which were first issued by New York State in 1903. Most frustrating though is that the identity of the vehicle the plates were attached to, are not listed. By the end of 1904 approximately 10,000 automobiles were registered in New York.
From Kleiner's Korner: Humorous Postcards from the Helck Family Collection
From Art Kleiner:
Al - you never amaze me - now how did you find who was issued the license plate number? And thanks to the others submitting comments.
From Kleiner's Korner: Humorous Postcards from the Helck Family Collection
From Art Kleiner:
Found a magazine article regarding the making of “Sally of the Sawdust” noting that interiors made at the Paramont LI studio and exteriors along the Motor Parkway and other locales on LI.
From a publication I’ve never heard of: the Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine (August, 1925). Published using various names between 1868 and 1935.
From Film: W.C Fields Driving On the Long Island Motor Parkway in "Sally of the Sawdust"
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